adrian-peterson-1400.jpg

The Detroit Lions are set to face off against the Washington Football Team this upcoming Sunday, and there's one player who has been looking forward to this matchup for months now. Back in early September, new head coach Ron Rivera made the surprising decision to release running back Adrian Peterson. The future Pro Football Hall of Famer was the one consistent piece Washington had on offense over the past couple of years, but the new coaching staff appeared to be ready to move in a different direction. Peterson was quickly picked up by the Lions, but he hasn't forgotten the fact that Washington viewed him as a non-factor.

Peterson recently sat down for an exclusive interview with WUSA9's Darren Haynes, and he said that fans will certainly see him playing with a chip on his shoulder this week. 

"I would be lying to you if I told you that chip on my shoulder wasn't there," Peterson said, via Pro Football Talk. "They will get to realize what they let go." 

"It was an awkward situation. It was like bam, I was cut, just like that with no notice." 

In 31 games with Washington, Peterson rushed for 1,940 yards and 12 touchdowns while maintaining a 4.2 yards per attempt average. Peterson's touches with the Lions this season have been inconsistent, but he is still Detroit's leading rusher with 350 yards and two touchdowns on 93 attempts. Peterson is currently No. 5 on the all-time rusher's list with 14,566 yards. 

Washington comes into this week with the No. 23 rushing defense in the league, and they allowed the New York Giants to rush for a total of 166 yards during their 23-20 loss on Sunday. Per ESPN's John Keim, New York rushed for a season-high 110 yards in the first half, which was the most Washington has allowed in the first half all season by 30 yards, so Peterson will certainly be looking to take advantage of an inconsistent unit in Week 10.